Anyone been there during a hurricane?

[Teachr4Disney]

I can not believe that I've meticulously planned our trip to WDW and now there's a ridiculous hurricane in the Atlantic and possibily headed toward my magical vacation!

Has anyone ever been to WDW during or in threat of a hurricane? When was the last time a hurricane hit the Orlando area. Of course, I guess I could look it up on the web, but I'd rather hear real stories.

Also, what happens if it hits while we're there? I'm guessing there will be no refunds or free passes or free night's stay, etc. Kinda like, plan your trip and take your chances with the weather and GOOD LUCK!

Hopefully it'll stay out at sea, but this is so my luck that it would hit land right on me!!

 

[MissM]

For anyone wanting to keep track:

The National Hurricane Center
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Bertha's five day track currently has it staying out in the middle of the Atlantic and heading north, away from Florida. As always, these things can change, but right now, there's no immediate risk. Keep an eye on the track updates (generally twice a day in the morning and late afternoon) but don't let it ruin your vacation with worrying.

 

[Hrudey3032]

I was there for Irene in Oct.99 and the day after it went thru we went to MK and had a great time even though it poured all day long.We were there from 10a-11pm(when the park used to stay open that late on a regular basis)Aside from wet clothes and feet me and my brother had the best time as we did everything at the MK at least 3-4 times.We walked onto everything.It was a ghost town but it was fantastic!

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

It was a bit windy with a bit of rain, would pass for summer in the highlands.

Disney did a great job, and the staff who made it to work deserved a huge well done.

The most amusing part was the "supplies" that people stocked up on to make it through the 1/2 hour that the storm took to pass through.

Everything look better with beer.

 

[Disney MDACK]

We were there in 04 with Charley. Had to leave a day early, lucky for us though they credited my last day there. Funny thing every CM in the park or hotel that we talked to said not to worry dont go home early it doesnt look that bad. We decided to go home anyway just as a precation. Besides we had only one day left after five days there so it was not too bad. But that is the last time I go in Sept. anyways not just because of that but it is way too hot that time of year.

 

[Damian31]

I was in orlando when Charley hit. We were due to go home and all flights were cancelled. We had to stay a week extra until we could get another flight back to England inbetween Charley and Francis. We were staying in a hotel on international drive and the power went out for three days. We were all told to stay in our rooms and put the matress against the window and towels under the door. If the windows blew out we were advised to go the bathroom at the back of the room.

Got to say the hotel staff were great. They let us stay in the room an extra week and the holiday company paid for everything - food, accomodation, taxi fares. We were allowed to form a party of about 10 tourists stranded - that were accompanied by the Sheriifs department to the nearest shops for food out of curfew. The Police guys were great and really made us feel safe. They understood that as tourists we would not have encountered hurricanes before and made sure we were ok.

Had to return the hire car though as insurance would not cover it if it was damaged in the storm.

Got to say it was very scary. Though we did not get the major brunt of it, i cannot say I would wnat to go through it again.

 

[figmentmom]

Like DawnBerg, we were there when Charley hit. We holed up in our hotel room during the storm itself, and the next day, everything was a mess - EXCEPT Disney, which was up and running and opened on time! It was obvious that clean-up had gone on all night in the parks, because there wasn't a flower out of place.

Worry not! :wave:

 

[Boray]

Hi Teach,

We were at BCV during the Wilma hit on central Florida. Wilma dumped alot of rain the night before it hit and they refunded our tickets to the MNSSHP and gave us another night. Wilma hit in the early morning hours. The next day, all parks were closed until 1:00pm and then only MK and Epcot opened to resort guest only.

There were lots of tree limbs all over Epcot (which is where we chose to go).

After Wilma hit, the weather became much cooler.

Hope that helps.

Niki

We were also at Disney when Wilma hit. The week before we left, I began to freak out too because Wilma went from a cat. 1 to cat. 5 overnight (this was about 4 days before we left home). I was very nervous and I too posted on this website, and was assured by everyone that there was no need to cancel. We didn't cancel and had a great time. Went to DHS the day before the storm hit. It was hot, humid and everyone decided to go to the same park we did!!! (it was packed!) We got some supplies and prepared to wait it out in our condo. We had a very nice morning as the storm went through and the parks were closed until around 1:00. We were in a 3 bedroom condo, so I made a big breakfast and the kids watched movies and played games all morning. We went to DTD after the parks opened because we didn't want to use a day at the parks, everyone else had the same idea! The stores were jam packed. The temperatuare dropped about 25 degrees after the storm. (Didn't really expect that...) But there was very little evidence of anything major having come through. There were some tree limbs in the streets, but those were picked up rather quickly. Also interesting, there were TONS of people up from the Miami area (where Wilma eventually made landfall) who chose to ride out the storm at Disney. I spoke with an AP holder and he said that he called one of the resorts as soon as the storm began to head toward his home and got an AP discounted room for the duration of the storm. Why not ride out the storm at Disney!!! So, take comfort in the fact that he CHOSE to come to Orlando to ride it out. He felt safer there than at any shelters they had set up for him by his home. That and who wouldn't want an impromptu vacation at WDW?!!?!?!?

Don't worry. I still went down even though I knew I was headed toward a Cat. 5 storm. (It was a cat. 3 when it eventually hit.) It was no worse (in the Orlando area) than a summer thunderstorm. Have a great time! :sohappy:

 

[ewensell3]

For anyone wanting to keep track:

The National Hurricane Center
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Another useful hurricane tracking site. Same information, just presented in a different manner:

http://stormadvisory.org/map/atlantic/

 

[Bronson55]

Hurricanes at WDW

My wife and I were there for two hurricanes. It was actually fun. The parks were open up to a couple of hours before the storm hit and it was interesting to see the preparations going on. Trash bins being removed. Swinging signs tied down with rope etc. Our only concern was a power loss and the expected humidity in the room without A/C. We watched the local news as the eye passed within a few miles. We never lost power once. The next morning we walked around inspecting the damage which consisted mostly of fallen trees. We were staying at POFQ. The boats to DTD marketplace did not operate for several days due to high water levels and debris in the water. That afternoon the parks reopened. Only minor issue was some of the restaurants had not opened because of power or gas issues that prevented the kitchens from operating. Disney staff was excellent as usual. The excitement prior to the storm was fun.
The only issue was had been that someone made the decision to move all of the camper RV folks from the campsites to POFQ and Riverside. The parking lot was a sea of RVs and trailers. The food court was out of food in no time. We had to eat packaged peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and bananas. It was chaos in the food court and store with wall o wall people trying to get the last of the food. When we got the bus to go to the parks we realized this mass of people only effected our resort due to it's proximity to the camp grounds. The RV's stayed for days after the storm. Everything including the pools was packed with people. It would have been nice of they had been disbursed throughout the Disney complex. I'm not sure if that was standard procedure. If it is, more available food should have been diverted to that resort. All in all riding out a hurricane at WDW can be a great experience. We wouldn't let another one stop us from going again. Just let it not hit on our travel days.

 

[angelfaerie52]

I was there during a storm in 04? 05 maybe? I don't remember.

They closed the parks the day of the storm. The day before it was rainy. We went to Downtown Disney - ghost town.

We were at AKL and were not allowed outside. The only food they had was at Boma and Jiko. We got into Boma for breakfast, but they had no room for everyone at dinner. That was the only bad part, and we were a party of two...

 

[TigerLily_CM]

I was a member of the Hurricane Task Force when i worked there so i was always on call to respond in case of a hurricane. Being inland, hurricanes rarely affect Disney, they most often turn to a tropical storm once they're no longer over open ocean.

I was called to duty twice during my time there, just to battan down the hatches so to speak. We're each assigned to a zone and just make sure that everything that can become airborn in the heavy winds are removed to a secure area, outdoor tents are tied down or taken down completely and hurricane gear kits are checked to make sure they are stocked in case the storm hits with people in the parks and we need extra water, raingear, medical supplies etc

If the park is open the hurricane task force is responsible for helping evacuate rides and either evac'ing the park or taking guests to the nearest "safe" location if there is no time for an evac

Places like the Canadian Pavilion can hold hundreds of guests in the chateau and we store our hurricane gear in there but we usually have so much notice for a hurricane that even if it did hit Disney, preparations are being done hours in advance. Both times i was paged the hurricane had lost most of it's power and was just a storm by the time it hit us but we were well prepared in case it wasn't.

Don't worry...have fun...

 

[KingStefan]

I was there for Wilma in Oct 2005. It went quite far south of Orlando, but was a cat 3 when it hit the FL coast. I had business up near the airport that was supposed to start Oct 24, but some colleagues I was supposed to meet with couldn't get into Orlando because of the storm. I had planned to go to Epcot in the morning before our meeting, and then maybe again in the evening. I stayed in Kissimee the first night specifically so that I would have a shorter drive in the AM.

Well, all the parks were closed that morning. I switched hotels to the one near the airport, and put on the news and found that they planned to open the parks in the afternoon, so I drove back down and spent the rest of the day at Epcot. It was the food and wine fest (which is why I wanted to go) but most of the food and wine booths were closed or not open until later in the PM.

I happened to have an AP, so it didn't much matter to me (I got to go the following two evenings) but if I had a regular ticket, I would not have been happy, and I would have asked for a pass at GR.

Wilma was one of the biggest hurricanes ever, and even though it had calmed to cat 3 by the time it hit the W coast of FL and it was much farther south than Orlando, I was still impressed with the speed with which they got everything back up and running.

Don't worry. Very little chance of being disturbed by this storm or another one, and even if it does come close, it'll be OK. I just hope you have luck getting there. Have a magical trip.

 

[danpam1024]

We went to POFQ to escape Hurricane Wilma (2005 I think:shrug. Anyway, they closed the parks and it got a bit windy/ rainy. Total damage to the resort was a bush that blew over. My DS was 3 and we went to grab a bite to eat at the food court. While we were sitting at the table, Goofy snuck up behind him, and he was SO SURPRISED . Mickey and Pluto showed up too...he had a ton of one-on-one time with the characters. They also ran Disney movies (Little Mermaid). Well, the storm broke around noonish, and the parks were up and running around 2pm. They kept MK open past midnight on a non EMH day. Best place to evacuate ever:sohappy:

 

[dvitali]

While my story is not a true Hurricane story I was at Disney one November while there was a tropical storm. I have no idea a storm was coming thru orlando area when I arrive and stay at All Star Sports. I woke up one morning to found a note/ letter place underneath my door saying that there was a storm coming that afternoon and for me to keep track of the storm by watching the local orlando channel for any update. One other thing was Disney was opening the parks at the usual 9 am and will try to remain open during the entire day. So I went to Mgm that morning just as the rain came down. I brought a Poncho and still was soak from head to toes but have a lot of fun riding the Tower of Terror several time in a row with several brave souls during the height of the storm, but the park seem all most empty. Several outside show was cancell (Indy, Beauty,Humpback) but most indoor show operated just as normal. By late afternoon the rain stop and there was hardy any little damage anywhere. Got back to Sport and there was a few phone calls from family members worry about how I fare at Disney during the storm to make sure i was ok.

 

[elcheapo]

Does anybody remember TS/Hurricane Ernesto on Aug 06, I was there the parks were still open we went to MK and it was a ghost town, but got to do all the rides many times with no wait

 

[smk]

I was there for Jeane, while it was a scary, windy storm the WDW area didn't miss a beat! We were in Siesta Key for the storm, right on the ocean, so we were scared to death and did lose power for 24 hours. We decided to make a stop in Orlando and see the mouse the day after the storm (once we recovered!) and we could have walked into any resort and got a room for the night, so it was really empty, most people were scared of Florida that year! No doubt because there was storm after storm, a really a bad year for hurricanes.

 

[natalia1681]

I was in Disney for Hurricane Wilma a few years ago. It rained like mad one night. DHS (then MGM) happened to be open late for EMH. Even though the rain was torrential, the parks and ride were still up and running. The other couple we went with headed back to the resort, but my husband and I trudged on since we were already soaked. We rode ToT and RnR over and over and over again. It was the first time that I ever rode RnR in the front car and I remember being SO cold since I was soaked from head to toe, but it was so amazing. Shortly after that, it stopped raining and the park was nearly empty. It was very strange wandering through the park with no one around.

That night it rained more and the parks were on a delayed opening, with MK and Epcot opening at 1p. We were leaving that day anyway, so it wasn't that big of a deal to us. Our flights weren't even delayed, so we got very lucky.

My husband and I still talk about that night and how much fun we had running like mad through the rain and laughing our heads off. It was a very magical night

On a side note, someone told me that night (can't remember who) that Disney is one of the safest places to be during a Hurricane, as their hotels are built to withstand high wind and rain in case of hurricane. I can say that it rained horribly that night, but I didn't hear a thing:wave:

 

[Teachr4Disney]

Thanks to everyone who has shared their stories. I have really enjoyed hearing your various experiences. You have put me at ease and I'm more excited than ever! So, here we come Mickey! :sohappy:

 

[colliera]

Hurricanes times three

I was at Disney the week between Charlie and Francis. There's nothing like a hurricane to blow out the hot humid Florida weather. Crowds were way down that week. When we rode the monorail from the outer terminal to the main building at the airport we were the only people on the train.
The next year I was there when Wilma gave Orlando a glancing blow. I was at the Wilderness Lodge and they had communicated the night before to the guests the parks would be closed. The characters where brought in to the lobby to entertain which was a definite advantage to being at a hotel with a lobby. Cast members came in early that night to do "ride out" of the storm to be there for the guests. An area was setup for CM children to be taken care of for those on the ride out crew. Flyers were placed under each door and information on the situation ran on the Resort TV channel. Several of the other channels were running Disney movies that hadn't even been released to DVD yet.
When the next day came there was a strong but weakening wind. As it became apparent the worst was over it was announced the Magic Kingdom and Epcot would open only to resort guests. As far as off property day guests were concerned all parks were closed. I decided to go to the Magic Kingdom and though it was a mistake when the buses to the park were backed up to the Contempory Resort. However, it was just backed up because it was first wave of busses from all the resorts at once. Once inside the crowds were extremely light with all attractions a walk on. The park was scheduled to close at 6 or 7 that evening but they extended it to 12 midnight. The most fun I had was asking when the 3 o'clock parade was. Normally, a stupid guest question the answer was, "The 3 o'clock parade will be a 5 o'clock today."
Later in the week I began to notice that a lot of people from south Florida had come to Disney to escape Wilma. One woman on a bus was talking to her uncle on a cell phone that stayed in place to the south. He told her not to come back yet. Power was out all over the place so there was no way to pump gas for cars if she came back.
While it doesn't look like Bertha will approach the US Disney and the airlines were letting people cancel without penalty and reschedule in previous years. However, remember Francis actually went out to sea and turned around and came back to land.

 

[Pluto 08]

Hey there,

You truly have nothing to worry about. I have been in WDW twice when there have been hurricans and its truly the safest place. What people dont realise is that all their building are reinforced for hurricans (Carribean Beach Resort being a great example). They also have underground areas in every resort (for extreme emergencies, they are very well hidden as they dont want anyone to worry about it).

You will be real safe.